The number of yarn supply bobbins associated with a knitting machine may number from several to over 100. Particularly when the fiber being knitted is made from cotton yarn, the fiber waste generated by engagement between the yarn and the yarn feeding and guiding devices of the knitting machine is quite substantial. The fiber waste problem is further aggravated by the fact that knitting machines tend to be operated at increasingly faster speeds, which increases the rate and amount of fiber waste generation.
After fiber waste has become airborne, it may settle upon the yarn feeding and guiding devices or other components of the knitting section of the knitting machine where it was generated, or upon one or more neighboring machines. This increases the possibility of yarn breakage, defective stitches, and general degradation of the quality of the knitted fabric.
Previously proposed apparatuses for removing fiber waste from circular knitting machines have employed fans or air blowers located above the machines. However, these merely displace the fiber waste from one location to another and do not collect the waste. It has also been proposed to enclose each of the knitting machines in a curtain-like sheet, and to provide adjacent each machine an exhaust duct into which a machine operator may introduce the fiber waste generated by the machine and collected by the operator. Providing separate exhaust ducts in association with each of the knitting machines is quite expensive, however. Additionally, the curtain-like sheets limit access to the knitting machines, and rapidly become unsanitary due to adherence of lint, oil, dirt and the like to them.
Fiber waste cannot be efficiently collected by merely blowing fiber waste by a fan, blower or the like, as in the prior art.
Commonly assigned Japanese patent application No. Hei 3-119439 discloses filtering means for collecting fiber waste generated at the knitting section (yarn carrier part, sinker part, sinker cap part, and knitting needle part) of a circular knitting machine; and also filtering means for collecting fiber waste generated at the yarn feeding device, yarn guide section and end breakage failure detection device, etc., above the knitting section.
Commonly assigned Japanese patent application No. Hei 3-116851 discloses a fiber waste box for collecting fiber waste generated at the knitting section (yarn carrier part, sinker part, sinker cap part, and knitting needle part).
Commonly assigned Japanese patent application No. Hei 3-116850 discloses a filter means for collecting fiber waste generated at the creel stand in which are housed the bobbins that supply the yarn for knitting the fabric.
The above-noted filter means and fiber waste box (generically called "fiber waste collectors") have fiber waste removers which are independent from each other. This makes the power distribution network more complex, and causes inefficient utilization of plant space. Moreover, effecting fiber waste collection by operating collectors at different locations without consideration of whether the amount of fiber waste generated at such locations is small or large, may and usually will result in excessive power consumption.